Light-duty liquid dishwashing detergent compositions require a high suds profile while providing grease cleaning. This is particularly important with respect to liquid dishwashing detergent compositions as the consumer uses foam as an indicator of the performance of the detergent composition. Moreover, the consumer in a liquid dishwashing detergent composition also uses the sudsing profile and the looks of the foam (density, whiteness) as an indicator that the wash solution still contains active detergent ingredients. The consumer usually doses the dishwashing liquid depending of the foam ability and renews the wash solution when the sudsing subsides or when the foam does not look thick enough. Thus, a liquid dishwashing detergent composition that generates little or a low density foam will tend to be replaced by the consumer more frequently than is necessary. Therefore, commercially successful light duty liquid dishwashing compositions need to exhibit both good foam height, density as well as good foam duration during both the initial mixing of the detergent into water; as well as good foam duration during the manual dishwashing operation.
Natural polymers such as cellulosic polymers are commonly used as rheology modifiers for liquid detersive compositions. For example, WO2007/119226 discloses a rheology modifying system for detersive compositions, comprising a combination of clay with an anionic polymer or a cellulosic polymer.
It has surprisingly been found that the formulation of a low molecular weight hydrophobically modified cellulosic polymer in a light duty liquid dishwashing composition, provides increased suds mileage and foam density.
Furthermore, it has been found that the light-duty liquid dishwashing detergent composition of the present invention provides improved grease cleaning, in particular on the more difficult baked-on grease layer.